


Step Forth

by babs



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-05 04:39:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17912180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babs/pseuds/babs
Summary: Sam and Daniel need to rebuild their friendship after a mission gone wrong.





	Step Forth

"Find anything interesting?" 

Daniel glanced over his shoulder at Sam who was smiling at him. She continued her task of packing small test tubes into a padded case.

"This seems to be a warning of some kind," Daniel said, gesturing to the large stone wall in front of them. "What about you? Anything exciting in the dirt?" He took the opportunity to take a swig of water from his canteen.

She shook her head. "Nothing that I can determine here." She shrugged. "Guess we'll both be busy when we get home, huh?"

Daniel turned back to the wall and took a step back. Maybe if he got a better view. Maybe seeing things from a different angle would help.

"Well, kiddies, it's time to pack up and go home from the playground." Jack's very chipper voice came over their radios.

Daniel could hear Sam still working and he took another step back, brought up his camera and then there was nothing but dark and pain.

* * * *

Ow. And double ow. It hurt to breathe but he could feel everything. Daniel didn't know if that was good or bad. Good because it meant he wasn't paralyzed but bad because ow. Ribs, legs, face. Ow.

He coughed and there were sparks behind his eyes. "Sam?" 

He made a herculean effort to turn onto his side. It was so dark and he couldn't find his flashlight. "Sam?" He tried to keep the panic from his voice.

"Daniel?" Sam said. "Where—" There was a gasp of pain.

"Sam," Daniel called her name again, crawled on hands and knees towards the sound of her panting. He reached out, found an ankle, knee, thigh. "I'm here."

"No." She took in a deep breath when he reached her right wrist which felt strangely out of place. "Please don't."

"Sorry, sorry," he told her. "I think it's broken."

Sam gave a little puff of pain. "I know it's broken."

"Is your flashlight working?" Daniel asked her. "It's so dark."

Sam was silent a long moment and he moved his hand to her abdomen. 

"Sam? You awake?" He was afraid to shake her in case there was another injury he didn't know about.

"Daniel, I have my flashlight on," she said finally. He felt her move and he moved to support her. He heard her gasp and he wasn't sure if it was pain or something else.

"Don't open your eyes," she ordered. "There's glass, blood." 

He started to reach up towards his eyes and felt her left hand come over his to keep him from touching.

"Water," Sam said in his ear. "We need water to wash your eyes, the skin."

"Pack," Daniel said. "Where's your pack?"

"Behind me---reach with your left hand. There—just a little bit to your right." 

He grabbed it, lifting it carefully. He found a clip, a zipper, and then the canteen.

"Help me sit up," Sam said. 

Daniel started to shake his head no. "Sam."

"Help me up," she said again. "You'll have to open the canteen but let me do the wash."

He nodded and moved hands to her shoulders, winced when she rested harsh-breathing against his leg. He uncapped the canteen, handed it to her, his hands shaky.

"Tilt your head back," Sam said. "There, there. That's good. I'm starting on three. Don't move."

"Got it," Daniel told her. He bit his lip as she counted, braced himself. Still, the water coming down was a bit of a shock even if it was fairly warm. 

"Keep them closed. I'm not sure I got it all." 

He heard her rustling and wasn't sure what she was doing. "Sam?"

"I want to cover your eyes," she said. "It does look mostly superficial, but if there's little bits of glass..." 

Daniel nodded. "I'm gonna have to do it myself." He held out a hand and felt a roll of gauze placed in it. He wound it over his eyes, around his head and tied it off. He was pretty sure it didn't look that great but at least he had them covered. "Your arm. We have a pressure bandage? Splint?"

"Pressure bandage." Sam's voice wavered. "I don't think..." Her voice trailed off.

"Sam?" Daniel felt for her, her breath coming out in a puff on his fingers. Okay, okay, splint—he stretched his arm, found his pack and pulled out a notebook. It was soft enough to bend and he cradled her wrist in it and held it in place with the bandage. 

"Jack? Teal'c?" He thumbed his radio. 

"Daniel? I thought I told you and Carter to pack up your toys." Jack's voice came across loud and clear.

"Yeah. About that. There might be a bit of a problem." Daniel tried to keep his voice calm. "We're in some sort of hole. At least I think we are. I can't really see anything."

There was a moment of silence and then Jack said, all business. "Details. Are either of you hurt?"

"We were in the temple and the floor gave way or, maybe it was some sort of trap or the wall collapsed. If you come in, stick to the edge of the floor. I was walking towards the middle when it gave way. Sam's wrist is broken—I don't know if anything else is wrong with her. Just her wrist I think. Her right wrist. She's not awake right now. I think she just passed out when I splinted her wrist."

"Daniel," Jack said. "Take a breath. What about you?"

Daniel hesitated. "Um, Sam made me put a bandage over my eyes. She said there was glass." He did a mental inventory. "I'm mobile. Well at least I managed to crawl to Sam."

"Teal'c and I are on the way," Jack said. 

Daniel nodded to himself and then brushed his fingers across Sam's face. "Sam?"

She moaned and then said, "Daniel."

"Can you tell me where we are? Did the floor cave in?" He heard her click on her flashlight, winced a bit as there was a bit of light in his darkness. 

"There's a ceiling," she said. "Or maybe it's the wall of the temple? It doesn't look like there is any way out. At least not the way we came in." 

"I called for Jack and Teal'c," Daniel told her. "They're on their way."

"What do you think happened?" Sam asked. 

Daniel held up a hand as he thought back. "I think I must have triggered something." He paused. "Is there any writing on the walls down here?"

"Carter, Daniel," Jack's voice came across their radios. "We're in the temple."

"Stay away from the middle," Daniel told him again. 

"Can you find a way out?" Jack asked and Daniel realized they could hear him without the radio. "Because there isn't a wall here any more. I think it's what's now your ceiling."

"No, sir," Sam called up. "At least we haven't found one yet."

"Teal'c, do you recognize any writing?" Daniel asked.

"It is unfamiliar to me, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel hunched over, rubbed his forehead. 

"What's it look like down there?" Jack called.

Sam took a few moments—the light flashing towards Daniel. "Dirt floor, dirt walls, the wall Daniel was looking at, and, oh..."

"Sam?" Daniel straightened.

"Uh, there are bones here. Human bones."

"That's not good," Daniel said and then felt a very strong urge to laugh.

"Teal'c's going for help," Jack told them. 

"Sir, if Teal'c doesn't make it there in a half hour, the next window will be in another twelve hours."

"Yes, Carter. I know that." They could hear heavy footsteps and Daniel hunched his shoulders.

"Stop doing that," he called to Jack. "You don't know how sturdy the wall is."

"It looks like something triggered it and it folded down over whatever hole opened up," Jack said. "I'm gonna see if I can figure out some way to try to pry it up."

"Sam, is there writing on this side of the ceiling—the wall?" Daniel asked. He took a deep breath and pain burned along his ribs. Okay, not doing that again.

"I can't read it," Sam said. "But it looks like the wall closed face down."

He hurt, and he thought maybe he was hurting even worse as time went on, but it had been a warning. He just needed to be able to see, damn it. "Tell me," Daniel said to her. "Can you tell me the shapes? Describe what you see?"

He heard Sam shift position. "Where do I start?" 

He could hear the pain in her voice and wanted nothing more than to tell her to lie down and rest. Hell, he wanted the same thing for himself. "I was working on the right upper quadrant reading right to left."

"I'm not sure," Sam said. "Wait. If it came down like a hinge, then...got it." There was a brief flash of light in his darkness and then Sam said, "It looks like an R but missing the straight leg." There was a rustling noise and Sam stopped.

"What was that?" Daniel asked.

"I'm not sure," she said. "I didn't see anything. Is that how you want me to describe it?"

"It's perfect." Daniel patted the ground in front of him. Good, it was sandy soil. He carefully drew what she described in the dirt using his index finger as she continued. "Okay, okay. That's the warning. Move to the left past the column."

There was more rustling behind him as they continued their slow translation. "Sam? You hear that?"

"I do," she said, her voice low. She moved past him and he heard a sharp intake of her breath.

"Sam?" He reached behind himself, stretched out fingers to find her and ignored the pain.

"I'm okay," she said and came back to his side. "I couldn't..." She pushed his head down as something brushed by them.

"What is it?" Daniel's mouth was dry.

"I don't...I can't see anything," she said. Her voice was shaky and Daniel put his hand on her knee as he turned the translation in his mind and realized...

"Jack!" 

"Daniel?"

"Jack! You have to get out of here. Now. The dark—they inhabit the temple in the dark."

"Carter? Daniel? You mind telling me..."

"Go!" Daniel screamed as loudly as he could. "Get away. Come back in the light!" 

Sam's leg bounced under his hand and they waited as they heard running footsteps.

"Daniel," Jack's voice came over his radio. "An explanation would be nice."

"Are you away from the temple?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah," Jack said, slightly out of breath. "Now explain."

"They come in the dark," Daniel told him. 

"They being?"

"Well I don't know that," Daniel said. "But hello—human bones and a warning about them—creatures of the darkness, it calls them."

"So these creatures," Jack said and Daniel could picture him using air quotes, "any idea what they are? What they look like?"

"No," Daniel said. "But I'd suggest you stay away until dawn."

"Sir, there is something here. We can't see it, but we've heard something moving around repeatedly," Sam added.

"And I can't help remembering that you two are in a damn hole in the dark."

"We have our flashlights, sir," Sam said. "They haven't come at us so far."

"If Teal'c got help, we'll set up some sort of light source," Jack said. "I'm going to see if he's on his way."

"Good," Daniel said. He needed time to think, time for Sam and him to come up with some sort of plan.

"Check in every thirty," Jack said.

"Yes, sir," Sam said and she let out a small cry of pain.

Daniel put out a hand. "Sam?"

"I bumped my arm," she said. "How are you doing?"

"I just wish I could see something," Daniel said. "Do you think--?" He waved a hand in front of his face. 

"We don't know if there's glass—" Sam hesitated. 

"I have the feeling we're gonna need more than one set of eyes," Daniel said. He reached up and started unwinding the bandages. "At least we can wash them again." He kept his eyes closed. "Shouldn't there be some kind of pain or something if there is glass in them?"

Sam was quiet as she placed a canteen in his hand. 

"I can see the light. Well, you know what I mean," Daniel said as he opened the canteen. Sam took it back and he tilted his head, gasping as the water hit his face.

"Sorry, sorry," Sam said. Rustling sounded near them and the canteen hit Daniel on the leg. 

"Sam?" Daniel blinked water away. Light hit his eyes, made him close them again. 

"It's here," Sam whispered and gripped his knee. "I can hear it, feel it."

"Where?" Daniel tried to open his eyes again, slammed them shut at the brightness of the flashlight beam. Even behind closed lids the swoop of the beam made him feel sick. 

"I can't find it, but it's here." Sam's voice rose. "I know it is. Come on, we have to hide from it." 

He could hear her moving and she grabbed his shoulder. He let out a cry of pain as she dug in her fingers. "I can't hear it," he said.

Sam was panting, her breath hot on his ear. "No. No. It's trying to trick us."

"Sam, listen to me," Daniel said, trying to keep his own voice calm and soft. "I'm here with you. Jack will be back soon with help and they'll get us out and this will all be a memory. I'll keep you safe. Stay with me."

"The colonel. We need to call the colonel." Sam's hand was near his ear, fumbling for her radio. "Sir. Colonel O'Neill."

There was only static. Daniel thumbed his own radio and was met with the same static.

"They're on their way," he told her. "We just need to sit tight and—-"

"They're back," Sam said. The beam moved and Daniel held an arm up to his eyes. "They're coming for us." And he knew she didn't mean Jack and whatever help Teal'c had been able to get.

"Dan—'port. How—-Dan---" The voice cracked through and Daniel tried again.

"Hurry," he said. "Sam is---" He felt a kick to his side and tried to grab her ankle. "Something is affecting her mind."

Daniel curled over against the pain and risked opening his eyes. He caught a glimpse of light and Sam scrabbling backwards toward the wall before he had to close his eyes.

He got to his hands and knees, crawling a safer bet than trying to walk across the expanse of their current prison. "Sam, tell me where you are." He stopped moving, listened for the sound of her breath and could hear only the strange rustling. "Sam, talk to me. Please." His voice rose in semi-panic. 

He moved forward a few feet and then paused. He could hear her—her breath quick and soft and her chanting, "Stay away, stay away."

He got to his knees, held out his hands palm up. "Sam, it's me. It's Daniel. I'm with you. You're safe."

He'd never know what made him move—maybe it was the pain from his side that made him pretty certain he had broken at least one rib, maybe he heard something from Sam, but move he did. As it was, the sound of the gun firing sounded like an explosion to him and there was a hot fire as the bullet scored his right side. Survival instinct, adrenaline took over and he flipped back, kicked out, and heard Sam scream as he connected with her arm. 

After that first searing pain, there was nothing and he crawled to her, gathered her up. "I'm here, I'm here. I won't let them hurt you."

He held her tight against him, felt wet warmth on his flank, and murmured words of comfort that he wasn't sure she heard. Sam was one of the strongest people he knew—it wasn't like her to be scared out of her wits by an enemy she couldn't see. And she'd been able to see, had the light. Daniel took refuge in words, in all the ways the inscription could be interpreted. Creatures of darkness. This darkness? Night? Human bones here?

When the assault began, he held Sam even tighter, pushed her head down, covered her body with his so they couldn't get to her. They pushed at him, bit his back, scratched his head, pulled at his skin with a burning touch and still he held on to her while Sam trembled and cried for them to leave. "I'm here. I'm with you. They will not hurt you."

He became aware of heavy footsteps overhead. 

"Jack!" His voice was hoarse and he hoped Jack could hear.

"SG-4's with us. We're gonna get you out. Place is lit up like day."

"Send Teal'c away!" Daniel yelled, voice cracking. "It's the naquadah. That's the darkness. They're trying to get to Sam."

"Get to a corner. We're gonna blow this." Jack called. "Answer me, Daniel."

"We're okay," Daniel said. "We're away." He huddled over Sam who had fallen silent. He put a hand up to her face, relieved when he felt her breath puff against his fingers.

"It's Jack," he whispered to her. "Jack and Teal'c and SG-4."

"Daniel," Jack yelled. "In three."

He heard someone counting and covered Sam's ears. There was dirt and falling debris and then bright bright light and hands on them and he was telling them Sam was hurt and they needed to get away and then then there was nothing.

* * * *

"It will be another five hours until we can dial Earth, O'Neill," Teal'c said as Jack paced. 

"Don't remind me," Jack said. He looked at the Gate and resisted the urge to try to dial home. Damn it, Carter and Daniel needed help sooner rather than later. 

"Daniel Jackson and Major Carter are strong," Teal'c said as if he knew Jack's thoughts. 

"Yeah," Jack said. He walked over to the shelter SG-4 had hastily erected and motioned for Jensch to come.

"How're they doing?" Jack asked, looking at the stretchers that held Carter and Daniel.

"They're both still unconscious," Jensch said. "Major Carter has a broken arm—looks like she might need surgery, and Doctor Jackson--" He paused and swallowed hard. "He was shot. Bullet grazed him but still combined with the other wounds." He trailed off and looked at Daniel. "We're keeping him comfortable, sir."

The other wounds—such a nice way of saying it, Jack thought. Daniel's tac vest had been shredded from the back, his skin bloodied and bruised and torn with a few places where muscle showed. His hands looked as though he'd been bitten by a dog—no, make that multiple dogs. There were little scratches around his eyes—the injury Jack thought might have been the first. Not to mention at least one broken rib. 

"It okay if Teal'c and I sit with them?" Jack asked.

"It might be a good idea, sir," Jensch said. "We can work around you."

Jack motioned to Teal'c and they sat on the ground by their teammates. Captain Bonner gave them both a grim nod as she checked Daniel's IV bag.

They had Daniel propped on his side and had cut away his vest and shirt—not that there had been much more than threads left of it and had covered him with sterile dressings. His hands had been bandaged. There seemed to be nowhere to touch him without causing him some sort of pain. Carter lay pale and unmoving, her right arm across her belly. They'd put in an air cast but her fingers peeked through—swollen and black and blue. Dirty tracks of tears still stained her cheeks and she blinked slowly at the green canvas above.

"No," she whispered.

"Carter?" Jack said, leaning close. "You with us?"

"Keep them away," she said and tried to sit. 

"Major Carter." Teal'c reached out to restrain her. "It is I, Teal'c. O'Neill is here as is Daniel Jackson. You are safe."

She turned her head and looked at them, although Jack considered that looking through them might have been a better description.

"Daniel?" she called. "Daniel? Are you here?" 

"Sam." Daniel pushed his hand down, trying to sit up. "Sam. It's okay. They can't hurt you."

"Daniel," Jack said and touched his shoulder. "Lie back down. Teal'c and I are on watch now."

"Jack? Where's Sam?" Daniel looked at him with vague recognition. "I need to help her. She's hurt."

Jack glanced over his shoulder at Teal'c who was attempting to console Carter. From the cries and raised voices, Carter was having none of it.

"Major Jensch?" Jack called as Daniel began to struggle against the straps of the stretcher.

Bonner knelt, putting her hand over Daniel's IV needle while Jensch, Leeds, and Lin surrounded the two stretchers. 

"We don't want to give them more sedatives, sir," Leeds said above Carter's and Daniel's increasingly distressed calls.

"Sirs, move out of the way," Captain Lin said. "We're gonna move their stretchers together."

Jack crawled back as did Teal'c while the others lifted Carter's stretcher and put her close enough for her to reach out and touch Daniel.

"You okay?" Daniel said when Sam was in his view.

She nodded and gulped as she reached out to hold his hand. They both let out sighs and closed their eyes.

"Well that was nice," Jack said. He motioned for Jensch and Lin to join him a short distance away.

"Do you think there's some sort of, you know," He twirled a finger at his head. 

"Anything's possible, sir." Jensch said. "But I think it might just be the situation they found themselves in. Neither is quite ready to believe it's over and they're safe." He looked back to where Carter and Daniel lay. "It's keeping them calm which is what we want at this point."

"If it causes any issues, we can move them apart," Lin added.

"I can't argue with that," Jack said and looked at his watch. Four and a half hours to go.

Daniel and Carter became more alert as time passed—way too slowly if Jack had any say. He regretted wishing them awake because despite the painkillers they'd been given, both of them still were suffering.

"Jack?" Daniel said. "We going home?"

"Soon," Jack told him. He looked at Teal'c who was currently stroking Carter's uninjured arm. Jack kept his own hand on Daniel's shoulder while Sam had one of Daniel's hands cupped in hers. SG-4 moved around them quietly as they continued their checks. But the hand-holding seemed to be keeping them calm so Jack wasn't going to complain.

"He feels pretty warm," Jack said to Leeds as he checked Daniel's pulse sometime later.

"We're watching it, sir. Giving him antibiotics," Leeds said. "It's likely he's fighting an infection." He tapped Daniel's cheek. "Doctor Jackson? You with us?"

"Is Sam safe?" Daniel asked, his eyes dazed.

"She's with us," Jack said. "She's okay."

"Good," Daniel said as he closed his eyes again. Leeds checked the dressings on his back and Jack felt Daniel's body tense. 

"I'm here, Danny," he said. "We're soon going home." Yeah, Jack thought, if soon meant two hours.

"They're not coming back," Carter said, her voice unsure. 

"They can not harm you, Major Carter," Teal'c said and looked at Jack. "We will not let them near you."

"My arm hurts," she said a bit later as the sky began to darken and the wind picked up.

"You broke it," Teal'c said. "Doctor Fraiser will put a cast on it and you will be fine."

She looked at him. "It's getting dark."

"A storm is coming," Teal'c told her. "It is only wind and rain."

"You're sure?"

"I am certain, Major Carter. I would not deceive you."

Jack let out a breath as the explanation appeared to be sufficient for her. Under his hand, Daniel's skin was hot and his breath sounded labored.

"Bonner?" Jack called her over. "He's struggling."

"Doctor Jackson?" she called and frowned when Daniel didn't respond. Jensch and the other members of SG-4 came over.

"Colonel O'Neill," Jensch said and Jack moved back. He watched as the major listened to Daniel's chest and then there was a flurry of activity.

"Not the best time for this, Doctor Jackson," Leeds said quietly and calmly.

"What're we looking at until we can dial home?" Lin asked.

"Forty five minutes," Jensch told them. "Let's monitor for ten."

"What's going on?" Jack asked. Daniel appeared to be in distress and they were going to monitor him?

"Pneumothorax," Lin said and when Jack looked confused, he continued, "Punctured lung."

"We'll treat it here if we have to, but I'd like to avoid it if we can," Jensch said. "If he gets any worse, we'll take care of it."

Jack got up, pins and needles going through his legs. He walked a short distance, to the DHD and back and again. The rain started—a thunderstorm that battered the shelter while SG-4 held ponchos over Carter and Daniel, doing their best to keep them dry.

Twenty minutes to go, and Jensch decided they couldn't wait until they got Daniel and Carter home. Teal'c pushed Jack's head down when Jensch inserted a needle into Daniel's chest and Jack fought to not faint.

Jack dialed home in a downpour, shivering in the wind and hunching his body against the thunder and lightning. And then they were going up the ramp and coming out the other side and he found himself on his ass in the SGC Gate room.

"Colonel O'Neill," Hammond said. 

Jack looked up at him, the general's face blurring in front of his eyes. He wondered why that was happening before he closed his eyes and didn't think any more.

* * * *

"How are you feeling, Colonel O'Neill?" 

Jack opened his eyes and squinted at Doctor Fraiser. "Uh, why am I in the infirmary?" Brain fog cleared and he put an arm over his eyes. "Please tell me I didn't faint in the Gate room."

"I could call it syncope," Fraiser said and smiled.

"Yeah, yeah," Jack said and went to sit up, only to fall back when the room swooped around him.

"Your blood sugar was low, you were slightly dehydrated, and just had a nice twelve hour nap." Fraiser put down the chart she was holding. "I'm guessing you didn't eat?"

Jack ignored that question and countered with one of his own. "Carter? Daniel? Teal'c?"

"Teal'c is with Sam and Daniel," Fraiser said. 

"And—" Jack waved a hand at her.

"Both of them are out of surgery," she told him. "Sam's arm was set and although she's not going to be happy wearing a cast for a time, Doctor Denning is confident that she'll recover."

"Daniel?" Jack accepted the glass of water she handed him and took a dutiful sip while she watched. It wasn't like she was going to tell him anything if he didn't.

"We have him in Critical Care. Luckily the gunshot wound was a graze but still he's lost a lot of blood due to his other injuries. SG-4 was right—he did have a pneumothorax. His white blood count is elevated and we're trying to isolate what's causing the infection. He's on antibiotics."

"His back. His back was torn apart," Jack whispered, the memory of the first glimpse of Daniel and Carter in that hell-hole flooding his mind.

"He's going to need some reconstructive surgery, skin grafts, but first thing is getting that infection under control," Fraiser said. 

"They didn't want to be separated," Jack said. "On the planet—we had to keep them together. Neither one of them could tell us what happened down there."

"One step at a time, Colonel," Fraiser said. "If either shows distress, we'll figure out the best way to handle it." She looked at him. "Right now, I'm going to send for a meal and I want you to eat it. Then I'll think about letting you go to see them. Understood?" 

Jack nodded, unwilling to fight her on this. They were home and safe —that was all that mattered at the moment.

* * * *

Teal'c sat in the chair beside Daniel Jackson's bed, Major Carter having succumbed to sleep and pain medication some time before. His friend and comrade was pale but for the heightened color on his cheeks from the fever raging in his body. One of the nurses had explained the medical equipment to him—a chest tube for the punctured lung, monitors for oxygen levels, IV drips for the medications to fight infection and to rehydrate and reduce pain, oxygen because his levels were not as optimal as the doctors wanted, leads attached to his chest to monitor his cardiac functioning and a blood pressure cuff that inflated automatically every ten minutes. Daniel Jackson lay on his side, facing Teal'c, his injured back and side bandaged. His eyes opened and he looked at Teal'c. A familiar expression came over his face, eyebrows lowered, small creases appearing between his eyes.

"It is I, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c assured him. "You are in the infirmary and Major Carter is safe."

The frown deepened and Daniel Jackson moved a hand to tug at his exposed ear. Teal'c reached out and gently lowered his friend's hand. 

"Doctor Fraiser would not want you to do that," he told him.

Daniel Jackson continued to watch him, eyes focused on his lips. Concern curled in Teal'c's belly and he covered Daniel Jackson's hand.

"Daniel Jackson, can you hear me?" he asked.

"Hurts," Daniel Jackson said. 

"Is there a problem?" One of the nurses appeared by his side.

"I believe Daniel Jackson can not hear us," Teal'c said. "SG-4 detonated an explosive in order to rescue both Major Carter and Daniel Jackson."

The nurse nodded and then motioned for Teal'c to move. She bent down so Daniel Jackson could see her.

"Doctor Jackson?" she asked. "Are you able to hear us? Can you raise a finger if you can hear me?"

Teal'c looked on as Daniel Jackson moved his head. 

"Hurts," he said again. The nurse patted his hand.

"I'm calling Doctor Fraiser," she said before briskly walking away.

Teal'c nodded and then resumed his place by Daniel Jackson's side. "I am with you," he said even if it was true that his friend could not hear him. "I am here. You are safe." He put his hand on Daniel Jackson's and gave what comfort he could.

* * * * 

Janet Fraiser stepped into her office for the first time in nearly eighteen hours. She sat down, wanting nothing more than to take off her shoes and knew if she did she'd never get them back on. She opened her filing cabinet on the E drawer and found her chocolate stash. So far, Sam hadn't found it. E for Emergency stash, she thought. It had been one of her more clever ideas. 

She inhaled the aroma of bittersweet chocolate and orange—a small gift from Daniel or Sam, she'd never been able to find out who, and took a bite, savoring the rich flavor and relaxing for just a moment.

There was a knock on her door and she felt a brief flash of guilt for hoping it wasn't an emergency.

"Hi, Dave," she said to Doctor Warner. "Come in."

He sat down across from her, his coffee cup clutched in one hand. "You need to go home and sleep for a few days," he said.

"I feel like I'm back in my residency," she said. "Don't worry, I'm headed for a bunk after I hand things over to you for the day." She gave him an assessing look. "You did get some rest, I'm hoping?"

"Slept on base," Warner said. "Just in case. Carmichael's on duty too."

Janet nodded. "Good." She pulled a folder closer. "Major Carter is stable—surgery went well and I was thinking about releasing her later on today if the pain is manageable."

"Mental state?" Warner asked. He'd been in the trauma ward when Sam had been screaming for Daniel.

"Much calmer. We had to keep lights on at her bed, though. She's still spooked by the dark." Janet hesitated. "I think seeing Daniel would help her but I don't want him stressed."

"And Daniel?" 

Janet sighed. "I had to call in Andrews."

"She's an ENT. Why?" 

"We're looking at hearing loss, damage from the explosion when SG-4 blew the roof to get them out." Janet tapped her fingers on the folder. "Teal'c's the one who suspected."

"Permanent?" Warner leaned forward, his expression one of deep concern.

"She can't be certain—Daniel wasn't in the best of shape to have an audiological exam, but in her words, she's cautiously optimistic that things will resolve in a few months." Janet hoped against hope that Doctor Andrews was correct. 

"In other words, we wait and see?" Warner said.

"Exactly." Janet pushed Daniel's folder towards him. "His fever's been spiking, and we're still pushing the antibiotics. Labs in another—" She checked her watch, "forty minutes. Oh, and keep an eye on his oxygen levels. I haven't been too happy with them. I'm hoping to see some improvement when we get the infection knocked back." She pushed the chocolate away—it wasn't settling in her stomach too well. 

Dave skimmed the folder, nodding his head. "Call you if anything changes?"

"Yes." Janet turned her head to one side and then the other. "I'm going to bed down here on base. Lynn and Roy are watching Cassie."

"You need to go home and get some rest," Dave admonished.

"Quite frankly, I don't relish the thought of going home and trying to sleep while the neighbor's dog barks and the city works on the street in front of my house." Janet stood up and stretched her back.

"Can't argue with that logic," Dave said. He smiled then. "What about Colonel O'Neill?"

"He's been bouncing between Sam and Daniel." Janet stood and stretched. "Oh and by the way, he did not faint in the Gate room. He was in syncope."

Dave laughed and for the first time in hours, Janet felt like she could laugh too.

* * * *

Sam leaned on Colonel O'Neill's arm as they walked to Daniel's bedside. She let out a small cry as she caught sight of him. 

"Here, Carter, sit," the colonel told her and she sank into the chair with relief.

"Daniel," she whispered and reached out to touch his forearm. 

"He can't hear you," Colonel O'Neill said and she turned to look at him in horror.

"What do you mean? How?" Her mouth was dry, her heart pounded.

"It is the after effects of the explosion," Teal'c said gently. "Doctor Andrews believes his hearing will return with time." 

Sam nodded and smiled when Daniel opened his eyes. She would not cry in front of him, not when he was hurting so badly. He touched her cast and frowned.

"I'm going to be okay," she told him even if he couldn't hear her and then covered his fingers with hers. He sighed at her touch and closed his eyes again.

Daniel looked sick—frail and in pain despite the medications she was sure the doctors were pumping into him. Memories of their time in the temple flooded back to her and she shuddered. Teal'c placed a hand on her shoulder and she remembered Daniel holding her in the dark, whispering into her ear, telling her she was safe and he'd protect her. She remembered the way his body had tensed against hers, the way he'd pushed her head down against his chest and covered her against the onslaught of whatever creatures had been there. She bit the inside of her cheek, refused to cry in front of him, in front of them. Daniel didn't need tears, he needed her strength.

Please be okay, she thought. The thought of Daniel unable to hear, unable to go through the Gate was too painful to bear. No, he'd be okay, she told herself. He would come back to them and until then, she and Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c would be with him.

* * * *

General Hammond finished reading Jack O'Neill's report of the ill-fated mission to P5T-113 and closed his eyes. There had been nothing but praise for SG-4 and commendations would definitely be coming their way. Major Carter's own report had been concise although she'd been unable to fully remember everything that had happened in the temple. Teal'c's report was much in line with Jack's—highest praise for SG-4 and their care for both Carter and Doctor Jackson.

As for Doctor Jackson, George looked at the latest report from Janet Fraiser. She was planning on transferring him to the Academy Hospital now that he was a bit more stable. He was sure the remaining members of SG1 were not going to like that one bit. But as Fraiser had explained, he needed more specialized care than could be given at the SGC. He didn't know how much detail she'd given his team, but Fraiser had spoken to him at length regarding the reconstructive surgery Doctor Jackson needed. There were going to be at least four skin grafts on his back and he needed surgery on his left hand. His own question of whether Doctor Jackson would be able to rejoin SG1 in the future had been left unanswered. It depends, Doctor Fraiser had said. Even if he recovered fully from his injuries, regained his hearing, there was still the underlying concern about psychological ramifications. 

For the moment, all those concerns needed to be put to the side. SG-9 waited in the briefing room before their mission and it was his job to see them off—his teams, the people he was so very proud to have under his command. He'd been blessed beyond measure.

* * * *

He was at the Academy Hospital although he couldn't remember getting there. He vaguely recalled Janet writing something on a piece of paper and showing it to him but he'd felt so tired that he thought he dreamed it.

He thought he should be hearing the normal beeps of the medical equipment he was hooked to, but everything was muffled. Mouths moved but he couldn't hear the words. 

Daniel. The nurse touched his shoulder with a gloved hand, getting his attention. You are at the Academy Hospital in the ICU. What is your pain level?

He thought for a moment. "Five," he told her. 

We will be changing your dressings in a ten minutes, she wrote. Do you have any questions?

"Why can't I hear you?" he asked, still not understanding.

Your hearing was damaged when they set off the explosive. 

He read the words but he didn't want to believe them. He closed his eyes in fear and then opened them when he realized it wouldn't allow him to know what was going on. "Is it permanent?"

We don't know. Doctor Andrews will see you tomorrow and you can ask her.

Daniel swallowed, his throat dry. "May I have some water please?"

A cup appeared in front of him and a straw was placed in his mouth. He took a sip and then gave up the fight of trying to stay awake.

* * * *

Daniel was asleep again. He'd only seen him awake a few times since Daniel had been transferred to the Academy Hospital. Fraiser was insistent that they only visit during times she'd set and on days like today when Jack was able to visit after his dressings had been changed, Daniel was usually sleeping, worn out, Jack assumed, by the whole process.

He felt rather silly talking to Daniel, but he did, despite his knowing Daniel couldn't hear him. Fraiser had said Doctor Andrews was seeing improvement and Daniel's own brief explanation was that everything sounded very far away and muffled. It was still bad enough for him that they continued to use the whiteboard for questions and explanations.

"Hey, Doc," Jack said when Fraiser entered. He moved back to give her access.

"Good evening, sir," she said and smiled. "We'll be doing the skin grafts on his back tomorrow."

Jack nodded. "His hand?"

"Doctor James said he wants to wait and see what functioning he's regained with this surgery."

Jack leaned forward, put his head between his hands. "God, Janet."

"He is healing, sir," Fraiser said. "It might not seem that way to you, but he is making progress."

Jack looked up at her. "He looks so---"

"PT had him walking to the end of the hall and back today," she said. 

"He sleeps a lot," Jack said and he touched Daniel's forearm.

"He's working very hard and it's exhausting. He's using all his energy to heal," Fraiser explained. She hesitated and then looked at him. "Sam hasn't been here to see him."

Jack sighed. "I know." He kept his eyes on Daniel, watched as Daniel frowned in his sleep and waited until the expression eased before continuing. "I'll talk to her about it."

Fraiser shook her head. "Not yet. If she's not ready, I don't want any stress put on either of them. But keep an eye on her."

Daniel made a small sound and opened his eyes. "Jack?"

Jack waved at him and then patted his arm. It seemed to be enough because Daniel simply let out a breath and closed his eyes again.

"Another half hour, sir," Fraiser said as she took one last glimpse at the monitors. "His surgery is scheduled for oh nine hundred."

"Thanks," Jack told her and kept his watch over his best friend.

* * * * 

Sam woke up hard-breathing—Daniel was calling to her, out-reached hands beckoning to her, his torso bloodied and skin hanging in strips as his face contorted in a rictus of pain. 

"Why, Sam? Why?" he screamed and as he turned his head she saw only a bloody hole where his ear had been.

She sat up and pulled her legs to her chest and blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light she kept burning all night. 

"I'm sorry," she cried, her tears wetting her knees and sheet. "I'm so sorry, Daniel." 

Janet had told SG-1 that Daniel's skin grafts were healing, that his hearing had improved although it still wasn't completely back. And she'd looked at Sam with disapproving eyes before Sam excused herself with a lie that she was needed in her lab.

She'd been to the hospital a few days after Daniel's transfer there—the orthopedist wanted to take another X-ray of her arm and she had gone towards Daniel's room after her appointment. He'd been crying in pain. She'd heard him in the hallway and stood there shaking because the pain was her fault. She'd found the closest rest-room and threw up her breakfast and lunch. 

He wouldn't ever be able to forgive her. She couldn't forgive herself. So she threw herself into work so that when she came home, she could sleep in her brightly lit room. 

She wasn't missing the sideways glances Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c gave her in the meetings they had. Or the way Janet looked at her and frowned. She knew she'd screwed up. 

She looked at the clock by her bed. 0245. She dried her eyes, got out of bed, and went to her bathroom to take a shower. There was plenty of work to do in her lab. At least when she worked, the demons stayed at bay.

* * * *

Daniel hurt—and itched and was bored out of his skull. He'd walked the hall with a nurse or aide as many times as allowed due to his still healing wounds. Strangely enough the donor sites from his thighs and hips and abdomen hurt more than his back. The medications he was on made thinking hard—concentrating on things that had always brought him comfort—reading, studying, translating were beyond his reach at present. Not to mention the added stressor of trying to hear what was being said to him. 

He sighed—he should be grateful. His hearing had improved to the point that the whiteboard served as confirmation of what he thought he heard, but it took concentration for him to listen and he still needed people to face him when speaking and had difficulty when there was any type of background noise.

"Daniel." Someone tapped him on his shoulder and he opened his eyes to see Ken Logan his OT standing by his bed. Ken bent down so he could see him better. "You ready to do some work on your hand?" Ken pointed to the whiteboard where he'd written the same question.

He wasn't, but he doubted telling Ken that would make a difference. Ken moved the tray over his bed and handed him a ball to start squeezing. His left hand was still weak and he had no feeling in his left pinky and very little in his next two. Nerves take time to regrow, the doctors said. You were badly injured, healing takes time. But he was sick of being sick. 

"Let's work on the beads," Ken said as he took the ball and replaced it with a tray of varying sizes of colorful beads. Daniel had no trouble picking up and moving the largest sizes, but the small ones—his numb fingers fumbled, his hand shook from strain. He wanted to throw the whole tray across the room, but he caught his lower lip between his teeth and kept trying. 

He could feel tears of frustration spring to his eyes and he kept his gaze on the beads, not wanting Ken to see his failure and the more he tried to do it correctly, the more he screwed up. Just like when he'd failed to translate the writing in the temple correctly. That was why Sam wouldn't come around—he'd put her through hell. 

Someone was calling his name from far away and then a whiteboard was held over the tray. Daniel! Look at me.

He looked up to see Ken's concerned expression.

"Are you in pain?" Ken asked, writing as he spoke. "Does your hand hurt?"

Daniel looked at him, thought of the throbbing in his palm and wrist and nodded. "It burns."

"I'm going to call Doctor James." Ken said and wrote. "I think he'd want to take a look at things."

Daniel nodded and when Ken left, he let the tears he'd been holding back fall. He missed his team, he missed his job, he missed everything.

* * * *

"Hey, Teal'c," Daniel Jackson said from the chair by the window.

"Good afternoon, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c gave an assessing look to his friend. He appeared to be doing much better than just a few days before when Doctor James had performed another surgery on his hand. Said hand was currently resting on pillow, bandaged and still. "How are you feeling today?"

Daniel Jackson still watched his lips closely and Teal'c sat down in the chair beside him. "Doctor James thinks the surgery helped. I still can't feel much." He gave a small laugh. "That might be a good thing."

"I do not like to see you in pain," Teal'c told him. "Has Doctor Fraiser spoken to you about your release?"

"She's thinking maybe later this week," Daniel Jackson said, his eyes straying to the window. 

"SG-1 will be glad to assist you with whatever help you require," Teal'c said and saw a shadow pass over Daniel Jackson's eyes.

"Some of you," Daniel Jackson said, his voice very low. 

 

Teal'c kept his expression neutral, not wanting his friend to know he heard. Major Carter continued to keep her distance—a concern of both his and O'Neill's. He knew O'Neill had spoken to her as had Doctor Fraiser. For his own part, Teal'c noticed the dark circles under her eyes, the way she startled at unexpected noises, and would not venture into any area that was not brightly lit. Perhaps Daniel Jackson's release from the hospital would begin the healing process for both of them.

"I have brought a game," Teal'c said then. "I thought perhaps you would enjoy playing."

A small smile came to Daniel Jackson's lips. "What is it?"

Teal'c showed him the box. "It is the Game of Life."

Daniel Jackson nodded. "May as well." He glanced out the window once more. "I didn't realize spring was coming."

Teal'c waited until he turned to him again. "Winter will pass."

Daniel Jackson bent his head toward the board but Teal'c did not miss the glitter in his eyes.

* * * *

"Daniel? Where do you want these?" Jack asked as he unloaded a bag of canned goods. He stopped as he realized Daniel didn't hear him in the other room. "Daniel!"

He pointed when Daniel came into the kitchen. "Where do you want these?" 

Daniel surveyed the assortment of groceries. "Soup on the bottom shelf of the left cabinet, vegetables above that." He rubbed his forehead, tugged on his left ear, shook his head. "I can put them away later."

"No can do," Jack said making sure Daniel looked at him. "Fraiser said your release was dependent on not overdoing things."

Daniel sighed. "I know." 

"Go in and sit on your sofa and relax," Jack said. "I told you I'd stay with you a couple of days."

"I just spent nearly six weeks relaxing," Daniel said, his face getting that stubborn look Jack recognized. 

"You spent six weeks recovering," Jack said. "And admit it, you're tired just from walking around the grocery store."

"I am not," Daniel said and then yawned.

"Whatever you say." Jack made a shooing motion with his hands. "Go. Rest."

He continued working after he watched Daniel leave. He grabbed a container of chicken stock, added a bag of frozen carrots, a chopped onion and celery and set the pot on to simmer. Chicken soup truly was good for the soul—and it would sit easy on Daniel's somewhat dicey stomach due to the medications he still took.

Just as he'd hoped, Daniel was on the sofa, stretched out and sound asleep. Jack pulled down the afghan draped on the back of the couch and covered him, smiling when Daniel sighed.

He looked over the instructions Fraiser had printed out for him which boiled down to make sure Daniel gets rest, takes his meds, and doesn't overdue for a few days. Overall, Daniel was well on his way to recovery. His hearing was almost back to normal, although he'd lost the ability to hear some higher tones. The second surgery on his hand had relieved most of the pain and he already had more mobility than he had before. And although there was extensive scarring on his back, Fraiser reported they were pleased with the skin grafts and how well things had healed. 

She was worried though, Jack knew that. He was too, he had to admit. Carter was falling apart, although she didn't think he noticed and he was damn sure Daniel hadn't processed everything he'd gone through. Now the hard work began—the healing of souls and psyches. Carter and Daniel were strong people—he didn't know if either of them recognized that strength in themselves at the moment.

He shook his head and focused his attention on the moment—on the next few days as he helped Daniel settle in. They'd see how things went when he returned to the SGC.

Jack turned on the TV and turned off the sound as he flipped through channels and finally settled on a hockey game from years past. It didn't keep his attention for long and Jack took some time to put fresh sheets on Daniel's bed, gather laundry from before the mission that had been so disastrous, and throw it in the small washer that Daniel had. 

"Sam!" Daniel sat bolt upright on the couch, looked around wildly when the washer went into its very noisy spin cycle. He managed to get to his feet and Jack grabbed him before he tripped over the afghan that had tangled itself around his feet. "Jack?"

"Yeah," Jack told him and guided him to sit back down. "Hang on." Jack got him a glass of water from the kitchen and placed it in Daniel's shaking hand. "Drink. I got you."

"I..." Daniel took a gulp of water when Jack pointed. "I was back—and Sam—-she--" He hung his head taking slow deep breaths. "Sorry."

"Drink all of it," Jack said and sat in front of him on the coffee table.

Daniel nodded and by the time he finished, Jack was happy to note his breathing was back to normal. 

"I miss Sam," Daniel said softly. "She's okay isn't she?"

Jack didn't answer for a moment and saw Daniel's expression turn to one of fear. "She's okay."

It evidently was enough of an answer for Daniel at the moment and the silence was interrupted by Daniel's growling stomach.

"Ready for some of my famous chicken soup?" Jack asked him and waited while Daniel got to his feet. 

"Is it Campbell's?" Daniel asked.

Jack gently tapped him on the side of the head. "Hey, I cook."

"You char and burn," Daniel said with a slight grin that warmed Jack's heart. 

"Oh ye of little faith." Jack gave him a generous portion and watched as Daniel took a spoonful. 

"It's good," Daniel told him and then proceeded to eat the whole bowl and ask for seconds.

Jack ate his own bowl more slowly and tried to figure out just how he and Teal'c were going to fix things.

* * * *

Sam couldn't stop scratching the dry skin on her arm. She looked at her now cast-free arm—the skin much paler and the forearm thinner. She forced a smile to her face as the PT, Captain Thomas, came into the room. 

"Major Carter," the young woman said. She placed a folder on the table in front of Sam and began going over the exercises she'd be showing her.

Another person entered the PT room with a therapist and Sam looked up to see Daniel. Her mouth went dry as he looked at her and frowned slightly. 

Daniel's face always had shown his emotions, Sam thought. She saw his mouth form her name and then the therapist with him touched his arm and drew him away. 

Captain Thomas continued her explanations but Sam's mind was anywhere but with her. 

Her back was to Daniel but the brief glimpse she'd caught showed her he was thinner than he'd been and his face wore the weariness of someone who'd been ill for a long time. She could hear him talking although she couldn't make out the words. She tuned out Captain Thomas and let the cadence of Daniel's voice wash over her—a voice that brought back memories of a friendship deeper than science, a voice that held her through the worst parts of her life and kept her safe. 

She did the exercises with Captain Thomas and still listened. All it would take, she told herself, was to walk over and say hi, give him a hug but when the captain left, she found herself walking out the therapy room without a backwards glance.

* * * *

The chicken ala king hadn't been the best choice for a meal, Daniel thought as he stared at the congealing sauce. He pushed his tray away as Jack and Teal'c approached the table.

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said with a bow of his head. "I trust you are well."

"Yeah," Daniel said and pushed out a chair with his foot. "I've prepared a report on P1Y-625. General Hammond said he's considering sending SG-1 early next week."

"Are you ready?" Jack asked as he looked disapprovingly at Daniel's untouched food.

"Janet's cleared me for off-world missions," Daniel told him. He met Jack's gaze directly. He wasn't going to be the one to back down. "Hand's almost as good as new." He flexed his left hand—the outside of his left pinky still remained numb but he had regained his dexterity. "And my hearing is quote 'at the same level as Colonel O'Neill's.'

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack said around a mouthful of pie.

"I believe it is a comment on the natural loss of hearing as one ages," Teal'c said.

Daniel nodded. "Only in one ear. The other one is commensurate with my current age."

"I think I've just been insulted," Jack said. 

"Where's Sam?" Daniel asked. He didn't miss the exchange of glances between Teal'c and Jack. "Is she mad at me? Did I do something to her?"

Jack's glance bounced from his pie to Teal'c to the line of personnel waiting to pay for their meals—everywhere, Daniel noticed, but to himself.

"Never mind." Daniel got up, grabbed his tray.

"Daniel."

"Daniel Jackson."

Daniel shook his head. "I said, never mind." If they wouldn't tell him, he'd just go find her himself.

* * * *

"Sam?"

Sam dropped the small screwdriver she held at the sound of Daniel's voice. He was here, in her lab, in her sanctuary. She bent to pick it up, only to find his hand in front of hers.

"Sam?"

She took the screwdriver from him and got to her feet, unable to meet his eyes. 

"Sam?" he asked again, the tone in his voice one she'd heard countless times—the one that meant he was trying oh so very hard to understand the culture, the aliens' customs. 

Was that what she'd become to him? An alien in his world? 

She dared to lift her eyes, to look at him. Light glinted off his glasses, making the eyes behind the lenses appear even more blue. There were fine scars by his right eye—and she remembered the first sight of the blood on his face. His forehead furrowed and he tilted his head slightly. She could read him after all these years. If you knew Daniel, you always knew where you stood with him, she thought. He'd never been able to hide behind lies—his eyes and face always betrayed him. It was one of the things that made him so dear to her—the one person in whom she would place her absolute trust without question.

"Daniel." Her voice cracked. "I--"

"I can leave," he said and dropped his hand back to his side.

She shook her head and took her time placing the screwdriver on the table. It had to rest exactly so and her fingers shook as it rolled out of place. She put it back—why wouldn't it line up with the others? It rolled again and she tried to fix it, to put it where it belonged. Her hand shook more. 

"I'm sorry," she said and meant more than the screwdriver out of place.

"Why?" Daniel stepped close enough for her to feel his body heat, to cover her shaking fingers with his. "You have no reason to be sorry."

She shook her head and kept her eyes on his hand—it was the left one. There was a scar on his wrist, still red compared to the rest of his pale skin. 

"It was me," she whispered, the knowledge that she'd carried with her for the past few months. "I'm the reason you—the reason you were hurt."

"The reason I was hurt was the—well I still haven't figured out exactly what those things were—creatures in the temple. They were the ones who attacked, not you."

She looked at him, her eyes tear-bright. "You protected me. Held me, kept them from me."

"I couldn't let them get you," he said as if it was obvious.

"I'm the soldier," Sam told him. "It's my job to protect you."

Daniel sighed. "Are we back to that again? You and Jack and Teal'c. It's our job to protect each other."

She heard the hurt behind the words. No matter how much he'd shown them, how many times he was the one responsible for saving them, he was the one they felt they needed to guard. Or maybe it was because they knew in their hearts that Daniel was the one who wasn't expendable. 

She swallowed hard. "I'm sorry I stayed away. I—I should have been there."

"Not all scars are visible," he said and opened his hand.

It was a release and she felt hot tears sting her cheeks. 

"Oh Sam," he said and she was pressed against his t-shirt.

She wrapped her arms around him, held tight, the way he'd held her that night in the temple. No matter how much she feared falling into the abyss, Daniel would catch her.

* * * *

Whatever issues Major Carter and Doctor Jackson had with each other appeared to have been resolved with Doctor Jackson's return to the SGC and SG1.George looked at Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c who gave their other teammates indulgent glances. Doctor Fraiser had cleared both the injured members of SG1 for off-world travel. One look at Doctor Jackson who was passionately defending the need for SG1 to visit P9W-112 and Major Carter who was practically salivating over the information from the MALP and UAV and George felt there was only one thing he could say.

"SG1—you have a go. Thirteen hundred."

* * * *

Jack watched Daniel and Carter as they sat at the large table with their hosts. Carter was deep in conversation with one of the miners—it seemed that the Peterians mined some sort of mineral that possibly was a new clean energy source. Jack hadn't understood one word in ten that Carter had spoken to the rest of them earlier and even Daniel's eyes had glazed over. Still it was good to see her excited and happy once more.

Daniel, on the other hand, was listening and watching a priest and priestess who were demonstrating a ritual of soul-cleansing. At least that was what he thought Daniel had said. No matter, Jack thought, as he watched Daniel. Like Carter, he was thoroughly engrossed in his task.

As for Teal'c, he was enjoying tasting various fruits and breads, making comments on each while the cooks who had served the communal meal basked in his praise. 

Jack contented himself with watching his team—back together, doing what they loved—and the natives. The Peterians were hospitable and excited about their new-found friends, willing to trade with Earth. As the shadows darkened, the meal began to wind down. Families with younger children left the communal hall, older people took their leave of friends, and his team came back to him.

"Sir, the miners guild has invited us to take a tour of the leesern mine tomorrow," Carter began. She hesitated as if she was afraid he was going to say no.

"And we've been invited to participate in the soul-cleansing ritual tomorrow evening," Daniel added. 

"Teal'c? You get any invitations for us?" Jack asked as Daniel and Carter looked at him as if they were asking permission to borrow the family car for a date.

"I have not, O'Neill. We have however been offered our morning meal provided at our lodgings before accompanying the miners guild."

Jack tapped his fingers against his thigh. "Well then, kiddies, I guess it's time you two get to bed."

Daniel rolled his eyes while Carter ducked her head and shared a smile with Daniel.

"Yes, Dad," Daniel said. "Are you going to tuck us in and read us a bedtime story too?"

"Let's get back to the inn," Jack said and ignored the comment. He had two very excited scientists that needed a good night's sleep.

* * * *

Teal'c exchanged an indulgent look with O'Neill.. Major Carter was talking to the head miner about the operation of the machinery. Although Teal'c did not know how it worked, he recognized that it was advanced technology that would be a boon to operations on Earth. Daniel Jackson, meanwhile, was speaking to one of the older miners who was gesturing wildly as she showed the expanse of the operation. 

"Looks like they're having fun," O'Neill said as he took up a post beside Teal'c.

"It does indeed," Teal'c said. He gave both of his younger teammates an assessing glance. Daniel Jackson was fully recovered from his injuries, although he had not lost the habit of intently watching the person speaking to him. Major Carter seemed to be in her element and she appeared to be well-rested and happy.

As they waited, Major Carter came over with her escort. 

"Sir, Olon would like to take us to the current face of the operation." She gestured towards one of the huge tunnels. "There's transport."

O'Neill looked at her, then to Olon. Teal'c knew that expression—it was the same one he would give—assessing, weighing the cost versus the gain. He was not surprised when O'Neill nodded his assent. 

The transport reminded him of a train he had seen when Daniel Jackson and Major Carter had taken him to an amusement park, although this transport had far bigger cars and allowed all four of them to sit together.

Major Carter sat by his side and half turned to Olon so she could continue her conversation. He could not understand them, and from the looks of Daniel Jackson and O'Neill, they did not understand either. Daniel Jackson had a bemused expression and simply shrugged when Teal'c looked at him.

He did understand however that something had gone wrong when there was a shuddering sensation under their feet. He threw one arm over Major Carter and noticed O'Neill reaching out towards Daniel Jackson before there was a sound of screeching metal, a bang, and everything went dark.

* * * *

"Please remain seated," Olon said. "This is only a temporary problem—another transport has become stuck and we will be here until it is cleared.  
Emergency lighting will come on momentarily."

"No, no, no, no." Sam began to chant.

Daniel leaned forward and put his hands on Sam's knees. Jack turned on his flashlight and caught her in its beam. She looked terrified, her eyes wide as she wrapped her arms around her chest.

"Sam," Daniel spoke softly. "It's okay. I'm here."

She shuddered and then met his eyes, looking only at him. 

Daniel smiled—he hoped it reassured her. "It was just a glitch. See, the lights are coming on." He gestured to the ceiling. "No problem."

"Carter," Jack started to say and Daniel shook his head.

"We can return to the entrance," Olon said. "I am most deeply sorry for the inconvenience. The transports with the leesan sometimes encounter difficulty with the grade."

Daniel took Sam's hands in his. 

She shook her head and took a deep breath. "No, Olon. I'm fine. If possible, I'd like to continue the tour."

Daniel nodded and sat back in his seat while Sam turned to Olon once more and continued her conversation.

"Not now, Jack," he whispered. "We can talk about it later."

* * * *

Sam took a deep breath before she entered the lounge area of the connected rooms SG1 had been given. They'd finished the tour of the mine with no further incidents, but her face still burned with embarassment when she thought of her little breakdown.

It was the bang that had done it. A hazy memory become vivid. She'd shot Daniel in the temple. She had shot her friend, her teammate. She'd shot him and still he'd held her and protected her from the attackers, had been willing to give her life for his.

"Sir." Sam pulled herself to her full height, stood ramrod straight. "I apologize for my unprofessional behavior in the mine earlier today."

Colonel O'Neill looked at her and shook his head. "No apology necessary, Carter."

He hesitated a moment and she sought Daniel. He didn't appear to be overly concerned, so maybe she was off the hook. 

"We do need to have a discussion," Colonel O'Neill continue, "about pesky things like what happened to you in there."

"Jack," Daniel said and took a step towards her.

"No, Daniel," the colonel said. "Let's just suppose we were in a fire-fight or we'd been in danger in that mine. Carter bugging out would not be a good thing. I think even you will agree with me on that."

Sam came to Daniel's rescue—she had to. "He's right, Daniel. I should have never..."

"Quit the crap, Sam." 

She looked at Colonel O'Neill in shock. The use of her first name was unusual for him, but it gave her a small bit of courage and a bit more hope. "You're right, sir. I haven't been honest with you or Janet or—well---anyone."

"Major Carter," Teal'c said, "you and Daniel Jackson both experienced a trauma. It is not unbelievable that there would be lasting effects."

Sam reached out blindly behind her, her knees suddenly gone loose—a release of sorts. "I didn't remember until the mine," she said. "The bang. I didn't remember I shot Daniel."

"You were scared," Daniel said. "Out of your mind. You didn't know it was me." He gave her a small smile. "At least I hope you didn't know it was me."

"Sit down, Sam," the colonel said and gripped her bicep. "You look like you're gonna faint."

She sat down, took a deep breath and looked from one of them to the other. To Colonel O'Neill—looking at her with concern and worry. To Daniel who was on his knees in front of her, his hands covering hers and gripping tightly. To Teal'c who radiated strength and support.

"I—" she stopped, gathered her thoughts and took another deep breath. "I'm scared. I can't sleep unless I have all my lights on. I can't stop working because if I do, I'll remember the sound of them ripping Daniel's back open." 

"Carter." 

She couldn't look at him. She fought so hard to be strong in a man's world. Could not allow herself to show weakness.

"Sam, look at me." Colonel O'Neill said in his command voice. 

She looked up, away from Daniel's hands covering hers. "Yes, sir."

"You need help. Maybe both you and Daniel do. We'll get you what you need because you're not stepping through the Gate again until you deal with this."

"Yes, sir," she said and a part of her wondered if that meant never.

* * * *

"You mind telling me what this 'soul-cleansing' thing entails again?" Jack asked Daniel.

Daniel looked at him. "Well, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure."

"Daniel."

"Jack."

"It might be nice if you'd have an idea since we're all, you know, standing here in our underwear."

Daniel felt a compelling need to bring his hands over his nether regions despite said coverings. "From what I understand, we go in the cleansing room where we sit and um, wait."

"We wait for what, Daniel Jackson?"

"Um—to be cleansed?" Daniel shook his head. "Like I said, I'm not really sure."

"Maybe it's some sort of bathing ritual?" Sam offered, trying to help.

"Carter," Jack said. "Not helping."

Daniel noticed Jack carefully kept his eyes on Sam's face or her feet---the same as the rest of them. 

"It's not dangerous," Daniel told them. "Every Peterian undergoes the ritual weekly with his or her family, workmates, and friends."

"Oh that makes everything okay," Jack said.

"They do it naked," Daniel said, just to shut him up.

As they waited their turn, a family came out of the cleansing room, smiling and chatting. They smiled at SG1 and bowed slightly.

"Peace in your cleansing," the older woman said.

"Peace," Daniel replied and then shivered when he noticed the priestess beckoning them forward. This was his idea so he straightened his shoulders and took the first step to lead his friends into the room.

The cleansing room was sparse, simple wooden benches along the four white walls, blue tiles showing flowering plants on the floor, and a ceiling painted with stars. In the middle of the room there was a small brazier and beside it a wooden bucket filled with water.

"Peace in your cleansing," the priestess said.

"Uh." Daniel raised a forefinger. "We're not sure what we're supposed to do."

The priestess smiled. "You may choose to pour the holy water on the coals. That is the custom most families follow. And then you wait."

"How will we know we're cleansed?" Daniel asked.

"You will know," she said. "If you wish to end the cleansing at any time, you need only open the door."

Daniel nodded and watched as she exited. Maybe his enthusiasm hadn't been such a good idea. Jack looked decidely unimpressed. Sam sat apart from them, hunched over on her bench, while Teal'c sat impassive.

"So, Daniel--" Jack said. "What do you think?" He made a circling motion at the bucket.

"When in Rome?" Daniel asked. 

"Maybe one ladle?" Teal'c suggested.

Daniel nodded and carefully poured a ladle of the holy water on the brazier. There was a bit of steam which smelled faintly of spices and a green earthiness.

"Oh that's nice," Sam said as Teal'c inhaled deeply.

"You don't think it's an hallucinogenic, do you?" Jack asked. 

Daniel shook his head. "The kids coming out didn't look stoned," he said. Of course that didn't mean anything given alien physiology. "We don't have to do this," he said again, gesturing to the door.

Jack stretched out his leg, rubbed at his knee. "Huh," he said. "If nothing else, the heat helps sore muscles."

"More water?" Daniel looked to each of them in turn. They all nodded and Daniel poured the bucket onto the braizer.

The room filled with a light steam—it reminded him of the time he'd visited a colleague in Finland and went in the family's sauna. He sat back on his bench and closed his eyes. He heard Jack sigh, Teal'c's breathing slow and deepen, and Sam let out a low hum of contentment. As for him, he felt tight muscles loosen and the low tingle of pain from the scars on his back lessen. 

The room was warm—not the heat he remembered from that sauna long ago—a comfortable warm like a summer's day. He realized the floor was heated and wiggled his toes against the warmth. When he leaned back, the wall was warm against his skin.

"This is wonderful," he said into the silence afraid that if he didn't speak, he'd fall asleep.

"It is," Sam said. "I wonder--"

"No," Jack said. "Don't, Carter. Just enjoy things without analyzing them." 

Danie looked at him and Jack pointed to him. "You too, Daniel."

"I believe both Major Carter and Daniel Jackson find pleasure in analyzing things," Teal'c said.

Daniel let out a snort of laughter at that comment and looked across at Sam who started laughing too.

"Is this pick on Jack O'Neill day?" Jack said but the twitch of his lips gave him away.

"Do you think this is the cleansing?" Sam asked. "Just talking?"

Daniel shrugged. He turned around to look at the tiles on the wall behind him. Maybe that had some sort of answer, but they were plain compared to the ones on the floor.

"Oh."

There was a hand on his back—Sam's hand, her fingers gently touching his scars. He resisted the urge to pull away, to turn back to face her.

"Do they hurt?" she asked softly.

"Not really," Daniel said. "Pull sometimes but the doctors have said that will lessen with time as will the scars themselves."

"Oh," she said again and Daniel turned around. She touched his side—the scar left from the bullet.

"Sam," Daniel said. "Forgive yourself. Please."

She met his gaze and nodded. 

"There's plenty of blame to go around," Jack said. "Teal'c and I not staying with the two of you, letting you get into trouble in the first place. Or not recognizing the post traumatic stress you were experiencing, Carter. "

"Or not realizing the severity of the situation immediately which caused us to be delayed in returning to the SGC, and not speaking to either of you about what you remembered of the incident," Teal'c added. 

"Maybe we can go all the way back to the builders of the temple and their trap," Daniel said. He shrugged. "I don't want that incident to be what defines our relationship from now on, Sam. What defines me—and that goes for you too, Jack and Teal'c."

"Have we all shared enough now?" Jack said. "Because quite frankly, I was enjoying the peace and quiet."

Daniel nodded and Sam went back to her bench. "Peace and quiet coming up right now, Jack."

"And still you are talking," Jack said.

Daniel caught Sam's glance once again and they smiled at each other. 

Peace in their cleansing indeed, he thought.

* * * *

Sam watched the Gate spin. She felt her breath quicken at the thought of stepping through it for the first time in over a month. She'd kept her word—talked things out with one of the SGC's psychiatrists but more with Daniel—the one person who understood what she'd been through. 

Daniel had said, on one of the times they'd talked deep into the night, that the scars would never go away—his and hers, but they would heal. She'd come to understand what that meant. 

Colonel O'Neill stood at her right—bouncing on his toes, tapping his fingers against his weapon, ready for action. Daniel was at her left—fiddling with a strap, looking at a book that he'd pulled from his vest and mumbling something under his breath in no language she'd ever heard. And Teal'c stood beside Daniel—alert and still, every line of his body prepared to step through the Gate and guard them, protect them. 

"Chevron Seven locked," Walter said from the control room and Sam caught her breath at the sight of the wormhole. 

It was beautiful and she was ready to step through it once again on whatever adventure lay beyond.


End file.
